Taiven Parmiga

Chapter 27: The Guest

I hear a loud knock at the door and run to answer it, knowing it will be who I've been expecting for a while now. Ever since that dreadful conversation with Evan over the phone, I've been eagerly awaiting her arrival. She will know what I should say and do next. She'll calm me down and keep me sane through all of this.

I open the door and a smile and sigh of relief are my instant responses to seeing my older sister Vera standing before me, with her arms open, waiting for a hug. When I get wrapped in her warm arms, all the fear and confusion seeps away and I'm instantly calmer than before.

"Alright. Enough of this mushy stuff, let's get down to business." She takes me to the coach and we both sit as she lays her bag down and takes off her heels. "What's going on?"

Soon, I've spilled all my fears and worries and confusion out in front of her and she is somehow able to understand it all. Not only that, she can fix it. With such ease. It honestly amazes me.

"Okay. Well even though this sounds like the routine therapist response, it will truly do wonders for you in this particular situation. You need to talk to him. Go to him calmly about it. Don't attack or interrogate him. That'll only make him want to hide even more. Out of fear. With a controlled and calm tone, he'll feel more at ease telling you the truth." She tells me slowly, so I don't forget a single word she says. And I'm trying my hardest to store everything she says into my brain where I will never be able to lose it or forget it.

"What if I'm nice and calm and he still lies to me about it?" I ask tentatively.

"First off, you don't know for sure if he's telling the truth or not."

"I think I'll have a pretty good idea." I say, almost proudly.

"But if he is lying, he won't be obvious. He'd be smarter than that. But I may be wrong. You might be able to tell. And if that is the case, and you just have a strong feeling that he isn't being honest, go to the only other person who will be. Emma."

I instantly jerk my head up, my eyes beginning to glare and my fists starting to clench at the singular thought of having to talk to her. "How do I know SHE won't lie about it?" I ask her scowling.

"I've known people like Emma. They won't want to boast about something that didn't happen. Even if they try, it's obvious they're lying. They'll focus all of their energy into boasting about what DID happen rather than making up pointless lies. If there was something that happened or is happening between the 2 of them, you'll know after talking to her." She finishes confidently, fully believing in what she's saying. And I trust her. Completely.

"Alright. So I'll be happy, if I survive talking to both Evan and Emma. Great." I look down, filled with sarcasm and also nervousness.

"Hey, if anyone can do it, it's you. I honestly believe you're the bravest person I know. Not just bravery. You're strong to. You'll get through this the way you want. And even if you don't get what you want, you'll still be brave enough to get through it. And strong enough to move on from it. Okay?" She grabs my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. I look into her genuinely kind eyes and give her a small smile in return. I thank her for all her help and we hang out for a couple of house before she has to leave again.

When she leaves, I feel like I'm finally able to breath a sigh of relief. I know what I have to do now and I'm ready to get it done.

AN:

Sorry for it being so long, I've been gone for the past 2 weeks without a laptop. Hoping to get a lot more updates in this next week before having to leave again.

As always, tap that star and drop any comments below. Thanks for reading!

-Aly